U.S. patent application number 15/687403 was filed with the patent office on 2017-12-14 for audio preview of music.
This patent application is currently assigned to Apple Inc.. The applicant listed for this patent is Apple Inc.. Invention is credited to Jorge S. Fino, Benjamin A. Rottler.
Application Number | 20170359629 15/687403 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 44655791 |
Filed Date | 2017-12-14 |
United States Patent
Application |
20170359629 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Fino; Jorge S. ; et
al. |
December 14, 2017 |
AUDIO PREVIEW OF MUSIC
Abstract
Systems, methods, and machine-readable media are disclosed for
providing an audio preview of songs and other audio elements. In
some embodiments, an electronic device may operate in either a
"play mode," which allows a user to listen to songs in a normal
fashion, or in a "preview mode," which may be used to provide
previews of songs to a user in succession. In some embodiments, the
electronic device may seamlessly transition between play mode and
preview mode. For example, the electronic device may pause a
currently-playing song when the mode of operation switches from
play mode to preview mode so that, if the user exits out of preview
mode, the original song may be resumed from the pause point. In
some embodiments, the electronic device may provide a
multi-directional visual interface that allows a user to control
the succession of previews provided in preview mode.
Inventors: |
Fino; Jorge S.; (San Jose,
CA) ; Rottler; Benjamin A.; (San Francisco,
CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Apple Inc. |
Cupertino |
CA |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Apple Inc.
Cupertino
CA
|
Family ID: |
44655791 |
Appl. No.: |
15/687403 |
Filed: |
August 25, 2017 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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12729717 |
Mar 23, 2010 |
9749709 |
|
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15687403 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04N 21/8113 20130101;
H04N 21/482 20130101; H04N 21/47217 20130101; H04N 21/41422
20130101; G11B 27/005 20130101; G11B 27/105 20130101; G11B 27/34
20130101; H04N 21/458 20130101 |
International
Class: |
H04N 21/81 20110101
H04N021/81; H04N 21/458 20110101 H04N021/458; H04N 21/482 20110101
H04N021/482; G11B 27/00 20060101 G11B027/00; H04N 21/472 20110101
H04N021/472; G11B 27/10 20060101 G11B027/10; H04N 21/414 20110101
H04N021/414; G11B 27/34 20060101 G11B027/34 |
Claims
1. A system comprising: one or more processors; and a
non-transitory computer-readable medium including one or more
sequences of instructions which, when executed by the one or more
processors, causes: playing, by the system, an initial audio
element in the play mode; while playing the initial audio element,
receiving, by the system, a first user request to enter into the
preview mode; responsive to receiving the first user request:
pausing, by the system, the playing of the initial audio element;
automatically playing, by the system, in succession, a plurality of
audio previews of a plurality of other audio elements in the
preview mode, wherein each audio preview comprises an audio portion
of a different one of the other audio elements; receiving, by the
system, a second user request to exit the preview mode; and
responsive to receiving the second user request, resuming, by the
system, play of the initial audio element in the play mode.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more sequences of
instructions, when executed by the one or more processes, further
causes: receiving, by the system, during the automatically playing,
a user selection of a particular other audio element corresponding
to a currently playing audio preview; and responsive to receiving
the user selection: entering, by the system, into the play mode;
and continuing to play, by the system, without interruption, the
selected other audio element in the play mode.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein the automatically playing
comprises: starting each of the other audio elements from the
beginning; and switching to a next audio element in the succession
after a predetermined amount of time has elapsed.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein the automatically playing
comprises cross-fading between each of the other audio elements in
the succession.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein the automatically playing
comprises playing a voiceover when switching to a new audio element
in the succession, wherein the voiceover provides metadata
associated with the new audio element.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein the pausing comprises saving a
time stamp of when the initial audio element is stopped, and
wherein the resuming comprises starting the initial audio element
at a point corresponding to the time stamp.
7. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more sequences of
instructions which, when executed by the one or more processes,
further causes: providing, by the system, a now-playing display
screen when operating in the play mode; and providing, by the
system, a scan preview display screen when operating in the preview
mode.
8. A non-transitory machine-readable media for seamlessly
transitioning between a play mode and a preview mode in an
electronic device, the machine-readable media comprising
machine-readable instructions recorded thereon for: playing an
initial audio element in the play mode; while playing the initial
audio element, receiving a first user request to enter into the
preview mode; responsive to receiving the first user request:
pausing the playing of the initial audio element; automatically
playing, in succession, a plurality of audio previews of a
plurality of other audio elements in the preview mode, wherein each
audio preview comprises an audio portion of a different one of the
other audio elements, and wherein the automatically playing
comprises cross-fading between each of the other audio elements in
the succession; receiving a second user request to exit the preview
mode; and responsive to receiving the second user request, resuming
play of the initial audio element in the play mode.
9. A non-transitory machine-readable media for seamlessly
transitioning between a play mode and a preview mode in an
electronic device, the machine-readable media comprising
machine-readable instructions recorded thereon for: playing an
initial audio element in the play mode; while playing the initial
audio element, receiving a first user request to enter into the
preview mode; responsive to receiving the first user request:
pausing the playing of the initial audio element; automatically
playing, in succession, a plurality of audio previews of a
plurality of other audio elements in the preview mode, wherein each
audio preview comprises an audio portion of a different one of the
other audio elements, and Wherein the automatically playing
comprises playing a voiceover when switching to a new audio element
in the succession, wherein the voiceover provides metadata
associated with the new audio element; receiving a second user
request to exit the preview mode; and responsive to receiving the
second user request, resuming play of the initial audio element in
the play mode.
10. A non-transitory machine-readable media for seamlessly
transitioning between a play mode and a preview mode in an
electronic device, the machine-readable media comprising
machine-readable instructions recorded thereon for: playing an
initial audio element in the play mode; while playing the initial
audio element, receiving a first user request to enter into the
preview mode; responsive to receiving the first user request:
pausing the playing of the initial audio element, wherein the
pausing comprises saving a time stamp of when the initial audio
element is stopped; automatically playing, in succession, a
plurality of audio previews of a plurality of other audio elements
in the preview mode, wherein each audio preview comprises an audio
portion of a different one of the other audio elements; receiving a
second user request to exit the preview mode; and responsive to
receiving the second user request, resuming play of the initial
audio element in the play mode, wherein the resuming comprises
starting the initial audio element at a point corresponding to the
time stamp.
11. A non-transitory machine-readable media for seamlessly
transitioning between a play mode and a preview mode in an
electronic device, the machine-readable media comprising
machine-readable instructions recorded thereon for: playing an
initial audio element in the play mode; providing a now-playing
display screen when operating in the play mode; while playing the
initial audio element, receiving a. first user request to enter
into the preview mode; responsive to receiving the first user
request: pausing the playing of the initial audio element;
automatically playing, in succession, a plurality of audio previews
of a plurality of other audio elements in the preview mode, wherein
each audio preview comprises an audio portion of a different one of
the other audio elements, and wherein the automatically playing
comprises playing a voiceover when switching to a new audio element
in the succession, wherein the voiceover provides metadata
associated with the new audio element; providing a scan preview
display screen when operating in the preview mode; receiving a
second user request to exit the preview mode; and responsive to
receiving the second user request, resuming play of the initial
audio element in the play mode.
12. A method comprising: playing, using an electronic device, an
initial media item in a play mode of the electronic device; while
playing the initial media item, receiving, at the electronic
device, a first user request to transition the electronic device to
a preview mode; responsive to receiving the first user request:
pausing, by the electronic device, the playing of the initial media
item, and playing, by the electronic device, one or more first
previews of one or more first media items, wherein the one or more
first media items are associated with a first category of a first
attribute; receiving, at the electronic device, a first user input;
and responsive to receiving the first user input, playing one or
more second previews of one or more second media items, wherein the
one or more second media items are associated with a second
category of the first attribute.
13. The method of claim 12, further comprising: receiving, at the
electronic device, a second user request to transition the
electronic device to the play mode; and responsive to receiving the
second user request, resuming, by the electronic device, play of
the initial media item in the play mode.
14. The method of claim 12, wherein the first attribute is one of
genre, artist, album, song speed, date released, date acquired, or
podcast.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first category is one of a
particular genre, a particular artist, a particular album, a
particular song speed, a particular date released, a particular
date acquired, or a particular podcast associated with the one or
more first media items.
16. The method of claim 14, wherein the second category is one of a
particular genre, a particular artist, a particular album, a
particular song speed, a particular date released, a particular
date acquired, or a particular podcast associated with the one or
more second media items.
17. The method of claim 12, further comprising: receiving, at the
electronic device, a second user input; and responsive to receiving
the second user input, playing, by the electronic device, one or
more third previews of one or more third media items, wherein the
one or more third media items are associated with a third category
of a second attribute.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first user input is a
horizontally-directed user input, and wherein the second user input
is a vertically-directed user input.
19. A system comprising: one or more processors; and a
non-transitory computer-readable medium including one or more
sequences of instructions which, when executed by the one or more
processors, causes: playing, by the system, an initial media item
in a play mode of the system; while playing the initial media item,
receiving, at the system, a first user request to transition the
system to a preview mode; responsive to receiving the first user
request: pausing, by the system, the playing of the initial media
item, and playing, by the system, one or more first previews of one
or more first media items, wherein the one or more first media
items are associated with a first category of a. first attribute,
receiving, at the system, a first user input; and responsive to
receiving the first user input, playing, by the system, one or more
second previews of one or more second media items, wherein the one
or more second media items are associated with a second category of
the first attribute.
20. The system of claim 19, wherein the one or more sequences of
instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further
causes: receiving, at the system, a second user request o
transition the system to the play mode; and responsive to receiving
the second user request, resuming, by the system, play of the
initial media item in the play mode.
21. The system of claim 19, wherein the first attribute is one of
genre, artist, album, song speed, date released, date acquired, or
podcast.
22. The system of claim 21, wherein the first category is one of a
particular genre, a particular artist, a particular album, a
particular song speed, a particular date released, a particular
date acquired, or a particular podcast associated with the one or
more first media items.
23. The system of claim 21, wherein the second category is one of a
particular genre, a particular artist, a particular album, a
particular song speed, a particular date released, a particular
date acquired, or a particular podcast associated with the one or
more second media items.
24. The system of claim 19, wherein the one or more sequences of
instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further
causes receiving, at the system, a second user input; and
responsive to receiving the second user input, playing, by the
system, one or more third previews of one or more third media
items, wherein the one or more third media items are associated
with a third category of a second attribute.
25. The system of claim 24, wherein the first user input is a
horizontally-directed user input, and wherein the second user input
is a vertically-directed user input.
26. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including one or more
sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more
processors, causes: playing, by an electronic device, an initial
media item in a play mode of the electronic device; while playing
the initial media item, receiving, at the electronic device, a
first user request to transition the electronic device to a preview
mode; responsive to receiving the first user request: pausing, by
the electronic device, the playing of the initial media item, and
playing, by the electronic device, one or more first previews of
one or more first media items, wherein the one or more first media
items are associated with a first category of a first attribute;
receiving, at the electronic device, a first user input; and
responsive to receiving the first user input playing, by the
electronic device, one or more second previews of one or more
second media items, wherein the one or more second media items are
associated with a second category of the first attribute
27. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 26,
wherein the one or more sequences of instructions, when executed by
the one or more processors, further causes: receiving, at the
electronic device, a second user request to transition the
electronic device to the play mode; and responsive to receiving the
second user request, resuming, by the electronic device, play of
the initial media item in the play mode.
28. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 26,
wherein the first attribute is one of genre, artist, album, song
speed, date released, date acquired, or podcast.
29. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 28.
wherein the first category is one of a particular genre, a
particular artist, a particular album, a particular song speed, a
particular date released, a particular date acquired, or a
particular podcast associated with the one or more first media
items.
30. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 28,
wherein the second category is one of a particular genre, a
particular artist, a particular album, a particular song speed, a
particular date released, a particular date acquired, or a
particular podcast associated with the one or more second media
items.
31. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 26,
wherein the one or more sequences of instructions, when executed by
the one or more processors, further causes: receiving, at the
electronic device, a second user input; and responsive to receiving
the second user input, playing, by the electronic device, one or
more third previews of one or more third media items, wherein the
one or more third media items are associated with a third category
of a second attribute.
32. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 31,
wherein the first user input is a horizontally-directed user input,
and wherein the second user input is a vertically-directed user
input.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This is directed to an application for providing a preview
of audio elements, such as songs.
BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0002] Today's electronic devices, such as desktop computers and
portable music players, are capable of storing a large amount of
media. For example, users commonly maintain large collections of
music on their electronic devices.
[0003] Because music collections may be expansive, locating a
particular song from a music collection may be difficult. In
particular, a user often has to devote his or her attention to
navigating through sequences of menus and options in order to
select a desired song. This can be frustrating to a user,
particularly at times when the user cannot devote all of his or her
attention to selecting music, such as when the user is operating a
motor vehicle.
SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0004] Systems, methods, and machine-readable media (e.g.,
computer-readable media) are disclosed for providing an audio
preview of music on an electronic device, such as a portable media
player (e.g., Apple's iPhone or iPod). For simplicity, an audio
preview of various songs provided in accordance with the principles
of the invention may sometimes be referred to as a "scan preview."
The scan preview may, among other things, allow users to browse a
large number of songs or other media quickly, enable users to
easily and effectively locate a particular song or other media from
a large collection of media.
[0005] In some embodiments of the invention, a scan preview can
involve successively playing portions of songs (or "snippets") from
different categories or music groups. This way, a user can
experience different types of songs to determine which type suits
the user's current mood, for example. The different categories may
be, for example, different genres, artists, albums, release dates,
download dates, or song speeds (e.g., by beats per minute ("BPM")).
The electronic device providing the scan preview may play a snippet
of one song in a category before moving to the next category, or
may play snippets from multiple songs (e.g., 2, 5, 10, or 25 songs)
in the same category before moving to the next category.
[0006] In some embodiments, the electronic device may operate in a
"scan preview mode" (or simply a "preview mode") when providing the
user with a scan preview. The electronic device may seamlessly
transition between the preview mode and a "normal mode," which
allows a user to listen to music in a typical fashion (e.g., by
creating a playlist of songs or by selecting a song from a list of
songs), and back again. For example, the electronic device can
pause an initial song that is playing in play mode responsive to
receiving a user request to enter preview mode. This way, if the
user chooses to exit the preview mode without choosing a new song
to play in play mode, the electronic device can go back to the
initial song by resuming the song from its pause point.
[0007] In some embodiments, the electronic device can provide a
multi-directional interface that allows a user to control which
previews are provided during a scan preview. For example, the
"multi-directional interface" can refer to an interface of an
electronic device that can receive horizontally-directed and
vertically-directed user inputs to affect different aspects of the
scan preview. Responsive to receiving a directional input in a
horizontal direction, the electronic device may visually rotate the
visual interface horizontally and may play a scan preview for songs
associated with a different category (e.g., songs by Usher) in the
same attribute (e.g., artists). Responsive to receiving a
directional input in a vertical direction, the electronic device
may visually rotate the visual interface vertically and may play a
scan preview for songs associated with a category (e.g., hip hop)
for a different attribute (e.g., genre). This way, the user can
choose the way in which the user wants to search for a song (i.e.,
by using vertically-directed movements to change between searching
by artist, genre, album, etc.), and can also move between
categories to locate the specific song (e.g., by using
horizontally-directed movements).
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] The above and other aspects and advantages of the invention
will be apparent upon consideration of the following detailed
description, taken in conjunction with accompanying drawings, in
which like reference characters refer to like parts throughout, and
in which:
[0009] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a client-server data system
configured in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;
[0010] FIG. 2 is a schematic view of an electronic device
configured in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;
[0011] FIGS. 3-5 are illustrative display screens showing a scan
preview of music provided in accordance with various embodiments of
the invention;
[0012] FIG. 6 shows an illustrative electronic device providing a
user interface for initiating a scan preview of music configured in
accordance with an embodiment of the invention;
[0013] FIG. 7 is a flowchart of an illustrative process for
initiating different types of scan previews in accordance with an
embodiment of the invention;
[0014] FIG. 8 is a flowchart of an illustrative process for
providing a scan preview of music using a user-controllable pointer
in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;
[0015] FIG. 9 is a flowchart of an illustrative process for
providing a scan preview of music by automatically iterating
through portions of songs in different music groups in accordance
with an embodiment of the invention;
[0016] FIGS. 10 and 11 show an example of a scan preview generated
using the process of FIG. 9 in accordance with an embodiment of the
invention;
[0017] FIG. 12 is an illustrative "Now Playing" display screen that
may be provided while an electronic device is operating in play
mode in accordance with various embodiments of the invention;
[0018] FIG. 13 is an illustrative display screen of a visual
interface that may be provided while an electronic device is
operating in scan preview mode in accordance with various
embodiments of the invention;
[0019] FIG. 14 is a flowchart of an illustrative process for
seamlessly transitioning between play mode and preview mode in
accordance with various embodiments of the invention; and
[0020] FIG. 15 is a flowchart of an illustrative process for
providing a multi-directional visual interface during a scan
preview in accordance with various embodiments of the
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0021] Systems, methods, and machine-readable media are provided
for providing an audio preview (or "scan preview") of music.
[0022] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of illustrative client-server
data system 100 configured in accordance with the principles of the
invention. Data system 100 can include server 102 and client device
104. In some embodiments, data system 100 can include multiple
servers 102, multiple client devices 104, or both multiple servers
102 and multiple client devices 104. To prevent overcomplicating
the drawing, only one server 102 and one client device 104 are
illustrated.
[0023] Server 102 may include any suitable types of servers that
can store and provide data to client device 104 (e.g., file server,
database server, web server, or media server). Server 102 can store
media and other data (e.g., metadata associated with the media),
and server 102 can receive data download requests from client
device 104. For example, server 102 can receive requests to obtain
music, such as one or more songs.
[0024] Responsive thereto, server 102 can locate and provide the
requested songs as well as metadata associated with the songs
(e.g., seed-generated information, genre, artist, album, album
cover art, release date, BPM information).
[0025] In some embodiments, server 102 can obtain and process data
from one or more client devices 104. For example, server 102 can
collect information on playlists created by users of various client
devices 104. Using the collected information, server 102 can
determine which songs are commonly grouped or played with one
another. Upon request by a particular client device 104, server 102
can use this information to create playlists from the songs stored
on the particular client device 104 and can provide the created
playlists to client device 104. This feature may sometimes be
referred to as the "seed-based clustering" feature, and the music
groups created by this feature may sometimes be referred to as
seed-generated clusters, regardless of whether a seed is actually
used to create the clusters. That is, it should be understood that
server 102 can create playlists or music groups using any suitable
technique, including but not limited to seeding each playlist or
music group with an initial song.
[0026] Server 102 can communicate with client device 104 over
communications link 103. Communications link 103 can include any
suitable wired or wireless communications link, or combinations
thereof, by which data may be exchanged between server 102 and
client 104. For example, communications link 103 can include a
satellite link, a fiber-optic link, a cable link, an Internet link,
or any other suitable wired or wireless link. Communications link
103 may enable data transmission using any suitable communications
protocol supported by the medium of communications link 103. Such
communications protocols may include, for example, Wi-Fi (e.g., a
802.11 protocol), Ethernet, Bluetooth (registered trademark), radio
frequency systems (e.g., 900 MHz, 2.4 GHz, and 5.6 GHz
communication systems), infrared, TCP/IP (e.g., and the protocols
used in each of the TCP/IP layers), HTTP, BitTorrent, FTP, RTP,
RTSP, SSH, any other communications protocol, or any combination
thereof.
[0027] Client device 104 can include any electronic device capable
of playing audio (e.g., music, podcasts, interviews) to a user and
may be operative to communicate with server 102. For example,
client device 104 can include a portable media player (e.g., an
iPod), a cellular telephone (e.g., an iPhone), pocket-sized
personal computers, a personal digital assistance (PDA), a desktop
computer, a laptop computer, and any other device capable of
communicating via wires or wirelessly (with or without the aid of a
wireless enabling accessory device).
[0028] Referring now to FIG. 2, a schematic view of illustrative
electronic device 200 is shown. Electronic device 200 can be a
device that is the same or similar to client device 104 (FIG. 1),
or can be a device not operative to communicate with a server.
Electronic device 200 can include control circuitry 202, memory
204, storage 206, communications circuitry 208, bus 210, input
interface 212, audio output 214, and display 216. Electronic device
200 can include other components not shown in FIG. 2, such as a
power supply for providing power to the components of electronic
device. Also, while only one of each component is illustrated,
electronic device 200 can include more than one of some or all of
the components.
[0029] Control circuitry 202 can control the operation and various
functions of device 200. For example, control circuitry 202 can
identify songs to play to a user, and can direct audio output 214
to play the identified songs. As described in detail below, control
circuitry 202 can control the components of electronic device 200
to provide a scan preview of music in accordance with the
principles of the invention. Control circuitry 202 can include any
components, circuitry, or logic operative to drive the
functionality of electronic device 200. For example, control
circuitry 202 can include one or more processors acting under the
control of an application.
[0030] In some embodiments, the application can be stored in memory
204. Memory 204 can include cache memory, Flash memory, read only
memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), or any other suitable
type of memory. In some embodiments, memory 204 can be dedicated
specifically to storing firmware for control circuitry 202. For
example, memory 204 can store firmware for device applications
(e.g., operating system, scan preview functionality, user interface
functions, and other processor functions).
[0031] Storage 206 can be any suitable type of storage medium
offering permanent or semi-permanent memory. For example, storage
206 can include one or more storage mediums, including for example,
a hard drive, Flash, or other EPROM or EEPROM. Storage 206 can be
used by electronic device 200 to store music, such as a collection
of songs, and other media. Storage 206 can store information or
metadata associated with the media, such as user-generated or
automatically-created playlists, seed-generated clusters and other
music groupings, genre, artist, album, album cover art, date, BPM,
or any other suitable information for each stored song. In some
embodiments, the media and associated information can be obtained
from a server, such as server 102 of FIG. 1. Storage 206 can also
store any other suitable information, such as preference
information (e.g., music playback preferences, scan preview
preferences), lifestyle information, exercise information (e.g.,
obtained from exercise monitoring system), transaction information
(e.g., credit card information), subscription information (e.g.,
for podcasts or television shows), and telephone information (e.g.,
an address book).
[0032] Bus 210 may provide a data transfer path for transferring
data to, from, or between control circuitry 202, memory 204,
storage 206, communications circuitry 208, and some or all of the
other components of electronic device 200.
[0033] Communications circuitry 208 can enable electronic device
200 to communicate with other devices, such as to a server (e.g.,
server 102 of FIG. 1). For example, communications circuitry 208
can include Wi-Fi enabling circuitry that permits wireless
communication according to one of the 802.11 standards or a private
network. Other wired or wireless protocol standards, such as
Bluetooth, can be used in addition or instead.
[0034] Input interface 212, audio output 214, and display 216 can
provide a user interface for a user to interact with electronic
device 200. Input interface 212 may enable a user to provide inputs
and feedback to electronic device 200. Input interface 212 can take
any of a variety of forms, such as one or more of a button, keypad,
dial, click wheel, touch screen, or accelerometer. Audio output 214
provides an interface by which electronic device 200 can provide
music and other audio elements to a user. Audio output 214 can
include any type of speaker, such as computer speakers or
headphones. Display 216 can present visual media (e.g., graphics
such as album cover, text, and video) to the user. Display 216 can
include, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a touchscreen
display, or any other type of display.
[0035] Electronic device 200 can provide a scan preview of various
audio elements to a user. For simplicity, the embodiments of the
invention will be described in terms of providing a scan preview of
songs. However, this is not intended to be limiting, and it should
be understood that the scan preview may be used with other types of
audio elements and media elements, such as audio interviews,
podcasts, videos, movie clips, or any other suitable browsable
item. In some embodiments, the scan preview can provide an audible
reading of a text-based document to, for example, provide
accessibility options to a visually challenged user who may
otherwise be unable to easily read the document. Accordingly, as
used herein the term "play" can refer to playing an audio element
or media element (e.g., playing audio and/or displaying video via
an electronic device), can refer to playing an audio reading of a
document, or can refer to playing any other suitable browsable
item. Similarly, as used herein the term "preview" can refer to
playing a portion (e.g., "snippet") of the browsable item.
[0036] A scan preview provided in accordance with the principles of
the invention can involve playing portions, or snippets, of songs
in succession to provide the user with a preview of each song. The
songs selected for the scan preview may be from a variety of
categories, such as songs in different genres, from different
artists, from different albums, from different seed-generated
clusters, released in different time periods, or downloaded by the
user at different times or seasons. This way, the user can preview
different types of music to determine which type is currently of
interest.
[0037] In some embodiments, electronic device 200 can allow the
user to control the progression of the scan preview. For example,
electronic device 200 may enable a user to control the length of
time that each song snippet is played or to control which category
of music to preview. FIGS. 3-5 show illustrative display screens
that can be provided by various embodiments of electronic device
200. Accordingly, FIGS. 3-5 will be described with reference to
electronic device 200 and its components.
[0038] Turning first to FIG. 3, illustrative display screen 300 is
shown that can be provided by electronic device 200 during a
user-controlled scan preview. More particularly, electronic device
200 may provide display screen 300 while playing one of the songs
in the scan preview. In some embodiments, electronic device 200 can
display album cover 310 for the album associated with the song
currently being previewed. For example, if the current song in the
scan preview is from hip-hop artist KanYe West's Graduation album,
the cover art for Graduation can be displayed as album cover
310.
[0039] Electronic device 200 can provide a sliding bar 320 with
pointer 322, which together provide additional information on the
song being previewed. In particular, sliding bar 320 may be able to
slide right or left with respect to pointer 322 such that pointer
322 can point to any of a number of positions along bar 320. Each
of the positions on sliding bar 320 may be associated with a
different category. In this embodiment, categories 324 may be
different genres (e.g., pop, hip-hop, rap, electronic, reggae,
country, blues, punk, grunge, and alternative). Positions 328, for
example, can be associated with the hip-hop genre. In some
embodiments, electronic device 328 might only display a subset of
categories 324 at a given time due to, for example, size
constraints on display screen 300.
[0040] At any given time, pointer 322 can point to a particular
position along sliding bar 320. The position may be associated with
the genre of the song currently being previewed. For example, while
electronic device 200 plays a hip-hop song from KanYe West, pointer
322 may point to one of positions 328 associated with the hip-hop
genre. Because the songs are organized along bar 320 based on
genre, the scan preview illustrated in FIG. 3 may sometimes be
referred to as a genre-based scan preview.
[0041] In some embodiments, pointer 322 may be at a fixed position
on display screen 300 (e.g., centered), and sliding bar 320 may be
controlled by a user using input interface 212 (FIG. 2). Responsive
to a rightward user input, electronic device 200 may slide bar 320
towards the right so that pointer 322 points to another one of
positions 328 closer to the rap genre. Responsive to a leftward
user input, electronic device 200 may slide bar 320 towards the
left so that pointer 322 points to another one of positions 328
closer to the pop genre. As bar 320 is moved, electronic device 200
may display additional categories 324 or genres that the user can
scroll though. In some embodiments, if a user scrolls through all
of the genres listed along bar 320, electronic device 200 can
provide the same genres again as if bar 320 were circular.
[0042] The disclosed embodiments of the invention will sometimes be
described in terms of moving or controlling pointer 322 instead of
bar 320. This is merely to simplify the description of the
disclosed embodiments. In some embodiments, electronic device 200
may fix the positions and genres on bar 320 and may allow a user to
change the location of pointer 322 along bar 320.
[0043] In response to a user's request to move pointer 322 with
respect to bar 320, electronic device 200 can select the next song
to play in the scan preview. This next song may be in the same or
in a different genre than the current song depending on the
position of pointer 322. For example, as the user moves pointer 322
rightwards towards the rap genre, electronic device 320 may
initially select hip-hop songs for the scan preview until pointer
322 passes into the area of bar 320 associated with rap songs, at
which time electronic device 200 may select songs for the scan
preview that are in the rap genre.
[0044] Each time a new song is selected by electronic device 200
for the scan preview, electronic device 200 can replace album cover
310 with the cover art associated with the new song's album. In
addition, electronic device 200 can play a portion of this new song
until, for example, a user input is received to reposition pointer
322. Thus, by moving pointer 322 slowly or quickly, or by starting
or stopping its movement, a user can control the amount of time
that each song is played in the scan preview. This can provide a
similar effect as turning the knob of a radio dial. Also, by moving
pointer 322 towards or away from particular genres, the user can
control the category of songs being played in the scan preview.
[0045] Electronic device 200 may have a large number of songs in
one or more of the genres. It may therefore be impractical to
provide a preview of every song in a particular genre before
pointer 322 is able to point to another genre. In some embodiments,
electronic device 200 may assign a predetermined number or a
maximum number of positions along bar 320 for each genre. For
example, electronic device 200 can provide 10 positions for each
genre--then, at most 10 songs can be previewed in one genre (e.g.,
hip-hop) before songs from another genre (e.g., rap) are selected.
Electronic device 200 may use any suitable number other ten (e.g.,
1, 5, 20, or 25).
[0046] In some embodiments, electronic device 200 may display a
number of ticks 326 along bar 320, which may or may not be
equivalent to the number of positions that pointer 322 can point
to. The number of ticks 326 for each genre can indicate the number
of songs available in that genre. In some embodiments, the genres
can be spaced evenly along bar 320 and the density of ticks 326 can
indicate the number of songs available in each genre. For example,
in FIG. 3, electronic device 200 indicates using ticks 326 that
more hip-hop songs are available on device 200 than pop or rap
songs. This way, even if electronic device 200 provides the same
number of snippets for each genre, a user is still able to visually
distinguish between availability of songs from each genre. In other
embodiments of the invention, ticks 326 may be evenly spaced
instead of categories 326.
[0047] Because only a few of the songs in a particular genre may be
selected for the scan preview in each rotation, electronic device
200 may need a mechanism for choosing which songs to preview.
Electronic device 200 can select songs using any suitable approach.
In some embodiments, electronic device 200 can select the songs
randomly. As used herein, selecting an element "at random" or
"randomly" refers to choosing an element that is not necessarily
adjacent to the first element. The term is not intended to suggest
pure randomness or even pseudo-randomness. For example, electronic
device 200 can select any song in a same category, and not just the
next song in the user's music library. A shuffle mode may be one
example of a technique for randomly selecting songs. Accordingly,
by selecting songs randomly, songs that are previewed back-to-back
are less likely to be from the same artist or from the same album,
and the user can sample a variety of songs in the same genre. In
some embodiments, the songs in a genre can be selected according to
a random shuffle mode, where the same song is not selected until
all other songs in the same genre have been selected. In these
embodiments, electronic device 200 may provide previews of
different songs not only while pointer 322 scans through a
particular genre a first time, but also in subsequent scans through
that genre (e.g., when the user circles through all of the other
genres and eventually returns to this genre).
[0048] Electronic device 200 can play any suitable portion of a
selected song as an audio preview. For example, electronic device
200 can start the preview at the beginning of the song. In other
embodiments, electronic device 200 may start the preview at its
most famous part, at the chorus of the song, or at a part most
representative of the overall song or of the feeling/mood of the
song. The information indicating where to begin the preview may be
a time stamp, and may be part of the metadata associated with the
song. In some embodiments, electronic device 200 may receive the
time stamp from a server, such as server 102 (FIG. 1).
[0049] Electronic device 200 can be operative to receive a user
selection of a song in the scan preview. For example, electronic
device 200 may interpret a user input from input interface 212
during the preview of a particular song as a selection of that
particular song. Electronic device 200 can take a variety of
different actions responsive to a user selection of a song. For
example, electronic device 200 can use the selected song to
generate a playlist of similar or related songs. To create the
playlist, in some embodiments, electronic device 200 can select
songs from the same genre as the selected song (since bar 320 is
organized by genre), or electronic device 200 can use the selected
song as a seed to create a seed-generated cluster of songs that are
related or go well together.
[0050] In other embodiments, responsive to the user selection of a
song, electronic device 200 can provide a menu of options related
to the selected song (e.g., a menu with songs in the same genre,
from the same artist, or from the same album as the selected song).
In still other embodiments, electronic device 200 can filter songs
stored on electronic device 200 by the genre of the selected song,
and can enable the user to further filter the remaining songs by
another attribute. For example, responsive to the user selection of
a song from the genre-based scan preview of FIG. 3, electronic
device 200 can provide an artist-based scan preview to enable a
user to filter songs in the selected genre by artist.
[0051] FIG. 4 shows electronic device 200 providing illustrative
display screen 400 as part of an artist-based scan preview. The
artist-based scan preview may have any of the features or
functionalities described above in connection with the genre-based
scan preview, except that categories 424 are organized based on
artist instead of genre. More particularly, electronic device 200
may display individual letters in alphabetical order along sliding
bar 420. The individual letters may be used to order artists by
name. For example, in FIG. 4, pointer 422 may point to a position
associated with the letter J, and electronic device 200 may provide
a preview of a song from John Legend (or from another artist whose
first or last name begins with the letter J). A user can then
control the position of pointer 422 with respect to sliding bar 420
to obtain previews of songs from different artists.
[0052] As described above, in some embodiments, electronic device
200 may provide an artist-based scan preview responsive to a user
selection from a genre-based scan preview. For example, electronic
device 200 may provide display screen 400 (with album cover art for
a John Legend album) in response to a user selection of an R&B
song by John Legend while pointer 322 (FIG. 3) is pointing to the
R&B genre. In these embodiments, the artist-based scan preview
may allow the user to preview songs in the R&B genre and to
select a previewed song from an R&B artist. The electronic
device may take any suitable action responsive to the user
selection of the song, such as creating a playlist of R&B songs
from that artist. By allowing the user to filter songs using
multiple criteria (e.g., genre and artist), the user can locate one
or more songs of particular interest, or can fully define the type
of songs suitable for the user's current mood. This form of
multi-level or multi-attribute scan preview may sometimes be
referred to as a hierarchical scan preview.
[0053] FIGS. 3 and 4 show electronic device 200 providing a
genre-based and artist-based scan preview, respectively. In other
embodiments of the invention, an electronic device 200 may provide
a scan preview that organizes the songs into categories based on
another music attribute, such as based on a seed-generated cluster,
album, release date, date downloaded, song speed (e.g., BPM), etc.
Also, in some embodiments, the electronic device may provide a
hierarchical scan preview using attributes other than or in
addition to by genre and then by artist.
[0054] Referring now to FIG. 5, illustrative display screen 500 of
a genre-based scan preview is provided in accordance with another
embodiment of the invention. In some embodiments, electronic device
200 (FIG. 2) may provide display screen 500 during a genre-based
scan preview instead of display screen 300 (FIG. 3). In other
embodiments, electronic device 200 may provide display screen 500
while electronic device 200 is held in a landscape orientation and
may provide display screen 300 while electronic device 200 is held
in a portrait orientation.
[0055] Display screen 500 may have any of the features and
functionalities of display screen 300 described above in connection
with FIG. 3. For example, display screen 500 can include sliding
bar 520, which can move with respect to stationary pointer 522
responsive to a user input, for providing the user with control
over the progression of the genre-based scan preview. Also, display
screen 500 can include album cover 510 corresponding to the song
currently being previewed. Album cover 510 can be displayed in the
foreground and in a central position. Electronic device 200 can
display additional album covers 512 (including album cover 514) in
the background, such as in a manner that allows foreground album
covers 512 to appear far away compared to background album covers
512.
[0056] Background album covers 512 may be associated with
potentially upcoming songs in the scan preview. For example,
responsive to a user input to move pointer 522 left one position,
electronic device 200 may change the song being played in the scan
preview from a hip-hop song associated with album cover 510 to a
different hip-hop song associated with album cover 514 (immediately
to the left of album cover 510). Visually, album covers 510 and 512
may each shift left one position such that album cover 514 replaces
album cover 510 as the cover art displayed in the prominent
foreground position, and a new album cover is shifted into the
leftmost position. Electronic device 200 may respond similarly to a
user input to move pointer 522 to the right.
[0057] Electronic device 200 may provide a visual preview of
potential upcoming songs in the scan preview using any suitable
technique, including but not limited to the foreground/background
technique shown in FIG. 5. For example, in some embodiments,
electronic device 200 may display album covers 512 in an
arrangement referred to sometimes as cover flow. In other words,
album covers 510 and 512 may be displayed to emulate the flipping
mechanism of a jukebox.
[0058] FIGS. 3-5 show illustrative display screens that may be
provided during a user-controllable scan preview in accordance with
various embodiments of the invention. The pointer in each of these
described embodiments may be controlled using input interface 212,
which as described above, may take on any of a variety of different
forms. For example, if input interface 212 includes a click wheel,
electronic device 200 may interpret clockwise and counterclockwise
inputs as requests to move the pointer, and a click as a user
selection of previewed song. In other embodiments, input interface
212 may include a touchscreen, and electronic device 200 may
interpret dragging motions as requests to move the pointer, and a
tapping motion as a request to select a previewed song. In some
embodiments, input interface 212 can include an accelerometer, and
electronic device 200 can detect a clockwise or counterclockwise
acceleration of electronic device 200 (e.g., achieved by tipping
electronic device 200) as requests to move the pointer. Any
combination of the above, or any other type of inputs, may used
instead to control the scan preview.
[0059] It should be understood that display screens 300, 400, and
500 (FIGS. 3-5) are merely illustrative and that electronic device
200 (FIG. 2) may provide any other graphical representation. For
example, in some embodiments, electronic device 200 may not display
the album cover associated with the song being previewed. In other
embodiments, the sliding bar may instead be omitted, and the
user-controllable pointer can be overlaid over the album cover. In
still other embodiments, a graphical representation other than a
sliding bar and pointer can be used to provide and select the
different available categories (e.g., a slider, a dial, pop down
menu, checkboxes, or radio buttons).
[0060] It should also be understood that an electronic device
configured in accordance with the invention does not need to
provide any visual display or user control of the progression of a
scan preview. For example, in some embodiments, an electronic
device can play each song in a scan preview for a predetermined
amount of time (e.g., 5 seconds, 10 seconds), where each successive
song or group of songs are chosen from a different category (e.g.,
different seed-generated cluster, genre, artist, album, date
released, date downloaded, BPM). An automatically-progressing scan
preview may have any of the non-visual features described above in
connection with FIGS. 3-5. Scan previews that progress
automatically will be described in greater detail below in
connection with FIGS. 9-11.
[0061] A scan preview provided in accordance with the principles of
the invention can be initiated using any suitable approach. In some
embodiments, a scan preview can be invoked without use of a
display. For example, a scan preview can be initiated by pressing a
particular button or set of buttons on the user device, or by
taking a specific set of actions (e.g., by pressing a button and
shaking the electronic device). While any type of scan preview may
be initiated in this way, automatically-progressing scan previews
may advantageously be initiated using this technique, because use
of the display may be avoided throughout the scan preview.
[0062] In other embodiments, a scan preview may be initiated from a
music menu displayed by an electronic device. FIG. 6 shows
illustrative music main menu 800 that can be provided by an
electronic device, such as electronic device 200 (FIG. 2). Music
main menu 600 can include a list of options, such as option 610 to
initiate a scan preview. Responsive to a user selection of scan
preview option 610, electronic device 600 may provide any suitable
type of scan preview (e.g., a hierarchical scan preview). In some
embodiments, electronic device 600 can provide the user with an
ability to initiate a scan preview from one or more music submenus.
The submenus may be accessible from options 620. Initiating scan
previews will be described in greater detail below in connection
with FIG. 7.
[0063] FIGS. 7-9 are illustrative processes that can be executed by
an electronic device (e.g., electronic device 200 of FIG. 2)
configured in accordance with the invention. It should be
understood that the processes are merely illustrative. Any steps in
these flowcharts may be modified, removed, or combined, and any
steps may be added, without departing from the scope of the
invention.
[0064] Turning first to FIG. 7, a flowchart of illustrative process
700 is provided for initiating a scan preview in accordance with an
embodiment of the invention. Process 700, in particular,
illustrates one way in which different types of scan previews can
be initiated by an electronic device. Process 700 starts at step
702 and moves to step 704. At step 704, the electronic device can
provide a music main menu, such as a menu similar to menu 600 of
FIG. 6. The music main menu can include an option to initiate a
scan preview. At step 706, the electronic device determines whether
a scan preview has been requested by the user. If a scan preview
has been requested, process 700 can move to step 708 or step 710
depending on the particular configuration of the electronic device
or on the current settings of the electronic device. At step 708,
the electronic device can initiate a seed-generated cluster-based
scan preview to identify which music group (e.g., seed-generated
cluster) is suitable for the user's current mood. One way in which
to implement a seed-generated cluster-based scan preview will be
described below in connection with the flow chart of FIG. 9.
Alternatively, at step 712, the electronic device can initiate a
hierarchical scan preview. One way in which the electronic device
can implement a hierarchical scan preview will be described below
in connection with the flowchart of FIG. 8. From step 708 or step
712, process 700 can move to step 710 and end.
[0065] Returning to step 706, if the electronic device instead
determines that a scan preview has not been requested from the
music main menu, process 700 continues to step 714. At step 714,
the electronic device determines whether the user has selected to
filter music by attribute (e.g., using options 620 of FIG. 6), such
as by genre, artist, time period (e.g., year released or year
downloaded), or song speed (e.g., BPM). If not, process 700 moves
to step 710 and ends. Otherwise, process 700 continues to step 716,
where the electronic device provides a music submenu for the
selected attribute. For example, if the user opts to filter by
genre, the electronic device can provide a genre submenu listing
different genres.
[0066] Then, at step 718, the electronic device can determine
whether a scan preview has been requested from the attribute
submenu. If no scan preview is requested, process 700 can move to
step 710 and end. Otherwise, at step 720, the electronic device can
initiate an attribute-based scan preview (e.g., a genre-based from
a genre submenu or an artist-based scan preview from an artist
submenu). In some embodiments, the electronic device may provide an
attribute-based scan preview using some of the steps of the
flowchart in FIG. 8, described below. After completing step 720,
process 700 may move to step 710 and end.
[0067] FIG. 8 is a flowchart of illustrative process 800 for
providing a scan preview using a user-controllable pointer. Some of
the steps in process 800 may be executed to provide an
attribute-based scan preview and may therefore be a more detailed
view of step 720 of process 700 (FIG. 7). Some of the steps in
process 800 may be executed to provide a hierarchical scan preview
and may therefore be a more detailed view of step 712 of process
700.
[0068] Process 800 begins at step 802. At step 804, the electronic
device can provide a pointer that is scrollable through various
categories (e.g., different genres, artists, release date, download
date, or song speed (e.g., BPM)). For example, the electronic
device can display the categories along a sliding bar, and the
pointer may be controllable by the user with respect to the sliding
bar. Then, at step 806, the electronic device can determine a
current position of the pointer, and at step 808, the electronic
device can identify a category based on the current position. For
example, the electronic device can determine which category the
pointer is currently pointed to along the sliding bar.
[0069] Process 800 can then continue to step 810, where the
electronic device selects a song in the identified category. In
some embodiments, the song may be selected at random (e.g., using a
shuffle feature). Then, at step 812, the electronic device may play
a portion of the song. The portion may be selected to be
representative of the entire song, or may, for example, be a
distinguishable or most famous part of the selected song.
[0070] Continuing to step 814, the electronic device can determine
whether the user-controllable pointer has been moved by the user.
If so, process 800 can return to step 806 so that the electronic
device can determine the new current position of the pointer. The
electronic device may then, at step 808, identify that the category
for the new current position is the same or different from the
previously selected category. The category may be the same, for
example, if the sliding bar includes multiple positions for the
same category, and the user has moved the pointer between two such
positions. In this scenario, the song selected at step 810 will be
in the same category as the last song played. In some embodiments,
the new song may be selected at random so that the new song is not
necessarily the next song in the user's music library.
[0071] Returning to step 814, if the electronic device determines
that the pointer has not be moved by the user, process 800 can
continue to step 816. At step 816, the electronic device can
determine whether the song playing at step 812 has been selected by
the user. If the portion of the selected song completes without
being selected by the user, process 800 can return to step 810, and
another song in the same category can be chosen. Alternatively, the
electronic device may continue to play the song or repeat the same
song until the song is selected or until the pointer is moved.
Returning to step 816, if the electronic device determines instead
that the song playing at step 812 has been chosen by the user, the
electronic device can take an action based on the selected
song.
[0072] Steps 818, 820, and 822 show three different options that
the electronic device may take in response to a song selection. The
choice of options may be based on the configuration of the
electronic device or on the current settings of the electronic
device. As one option, at step 818, the electronic device may
create a playlist based on the selected song. For example, the
electronic device can filter the songs in the user's collection of
songs to only those in the same category as the selected song. This
option may be used, for example, if the electronic device is
executing an attribute-based scan. As another example, the
electronic device can use the selected song as a seed for a server
to, for example, determine other songs that are suitable to be
played with the selected song.
[0073] Instead, the electronic device can execute step 820 after
the song being previewed is chosen by the user. At step 820, the
electronic device can provide a menu of options based on the
selected song. For example, the electronic device can provide a
list of albums or songs from the same artist as the selected song,
which a user can review to identify songs of interest.
[0074] As an alternative to step 818 and step 820, the electronic
device can execute step 822 and provide the user with the ability
to further filter songs based on a different attribute. For
example, if the current categories are organized based on different
genres, the electronic device can filter the songs down to only
those of the selected song's genre. The electronic device can then
repeat the steps of process 800 using a different attribute, such
as artists in that genre, to further filter the songs based on a
particular artist. In some embodiments, the electronic device may
execute step 822 when the electronic device is implementing a
hierarchical scan preview. After the electronic device executes
step 818, step 820, or step 822, process 800 can move to step 824
and end.
[0075] Referring now to FIG. 9, a flowchart of illustrative process
900 is shown for providing a scan preview that provides each
preview without user input. Process 900 may be one way in which an
electronic device can implement the seed-generated cluster-based
scan preview of step 708 (FIG. 7), described above.
[0076] Process 900 starts at step 902. At step 904, the electronic
device can define or identify various music groups. The music
groups may be, for example, seed-generated clusters that are
defined at a server (e.g., server 102 of FIG. 1) based on
processing playlists at a plurality of client devices. The
electronic device can then receive information from the server on
which songs stored in the electronic device belong in which music
group. Each of the music groups may therefore include a subset of
the songs stored on the electronic device. In other embodiments of
the invention, or depending on how the scan preview is initiated,
the electronic device can organize the songs stored on electronic
device into different categories, such as by genre, artist, album,
etc.
[0077] Then, at step 906, the electronic device can select a song
from a first one of the music groups. The song can be selected at
random so that, for example, any of the songs in that music group
can be selected for previewing. At step 908, the electronic device
can play a portion of the selected song. The portion can be any
suitable part of the selected song, such as starting at the
beginning of the song, or the portion can be representative of the
entire song, the most popular part of the song, or a part of the
song that is more distinguishable or identifiable about the song.
The portion may be of a predetermined length (e.g., 3 seconds, 5
seconds, 10 seconds).
[0078] Process 900 can continue to step 910, where the electronic
device determines whether a user input has been received while the
portion of the song is playing. If a user input is received, the
electronic device, at step 912, can create a playlist based on the
selected song. For example, in one embodiment, the electronic
device can create a playlist that includes some or all of the songs
in the music group that the selected song belongs in. If the music
groups are based on seed-generated clusters, this may produce a
similar effect as seeding the seed-based clustering feature with
the selected song, and may be advantageous since it creates a
playlist of songs that go well together without requiring the user
to take any arduous tasks. Process 900 can then continue to step
914 and end.
[0079] Returning to step 910, if the electronic device determines
instead that a user input is not received while the portion of the
selected song is playing, process 900 moves to step 916. At step
916, the electronic device can determine whether a song from each
of the music groups defined at step 904 has been selected and
played. If not, the electronic device can move to step 918, which
enables the electronic device to provide a preview of the next
music group (e.g., a music group yet to be previewed). In
particular, after step 918, process 900 may return to step 906,
where the electronic device selects a song from the next music
group and plays a portion of this song at step 908. In some
embodiments, the electronic device may cross-fade between the
preview of the song from the first music group and the preview of
the song from the next music group to ensure that the transition
does not appear too abrupt or unexpected to the user.
[0080] By returning to step 906 each time a user input is not
received, the electronic device can provide, in succession, a
preview of one song from each music group. This way, the user is
able to experience a snippet from different music groups until the
user identifies a song (and therefore a music group) that is of
interest to the user. In some embodiments, the preview of each song
may be of the same, predetermined length (e.g., 5 seconds, 10
seconds), and the electronic device may cross-fade each of the song
transitions. In this manner, the electronic device can provide a
scan preview that automatically and seamlessly progresses between
song snippets. This may produce an audio effect similar to using
the scan feature of a radio.
[0081] Returning to step 916, if the electronic device determines
that one song has been selected from each of the music groups, then
the user has not yet selected a song even after hearing a preview
from every music group (e.g., every seed-generated cluster). In
this case, process 900 moves to step 920, allowing the electronic
device to again provide a preview from the first music group. In
particular, after step 920, process 900 can move back to step 906,
where the electronic device can select another song from the first
music group. This allows the electronic device to iterate through
and provide audio previews from each music group a second time.
[0082] Each song selected at step 906 during the second and
subsequent iterations may be selected at random. In some
embodiments, this involves the electronic device choosing a song
that has not yet been played in the scan preview, if possible. This
gives the user a second chance or more to experience each music
group, potentially allowing the user to find a music group of
interest. In some embodiments, the electronic device can continue
to iterate through each music group in this manner until a user
input is received or until the user terminates the scan
preview.
[0083] An electronic device operating based on process 900
provides, in each iteration through the music groups, a preview of
only one song in each music group. In other embodiments of the
invention, the electronic device may provide a preview of multiple
songs (e.g., 5, 10, 20 songs) in each music group during each
iteration. That is, the electronic device may play multiple songs
from the same music group back-to-back before providing previews
for songs in another music group.
[0084] FIG. 10 illustrates the songs that an electronic device
executing the steps of process 900 (FIG. 9) might select for a scan
preview. In this example, the electronic device can identify three
music groups (referred to in FIG. 10 as Clusters A, B, and C),
where each box in FIG. 10 represents a song in one of the three
music groups. Thus, Cluster A includes five songs (including Song
A), Cluster B includes four songs (including Song B), and Cluster C
includes six songs (including Song C).
[0085] The electronic device can select one song from each music
group to play during a first iteration through the music groups.
Each song selection can be made from its respective music group at
random. In one operating scenario, this random selection may cause
the electronic device to select the second song from Cluster A
(Song A), the fourth song from Cluster B (Song B), and the third
song from Cluster C (Song C). As illustrated in the timing diagram
of FIG. 11, the electronic device can play, in succession, Songs A,
B, and C for N seconds each (e.g., 3, 5, 10, or 20 seconds), and
can use cross-fading to provide smooth transitions between the
selected songs.
[0086] If no user input is received while snippets of
[0087] Songs A, B, or C are played, the electronic device can
provide a snippet of another song from each of Clusters A, B, and
C. The electronic device can select a second song from Cluster A
(identified in FIG. 11 as Song A'), which can be any of the five
songs in Cluster A other than Song A. The electronic device can
select a second song from the four songs in Cluster B (identified
in FIG. 11 as Song B') and a second song from the six songs in
Cluster C (referred to as Song C'). As illustrated in the timing
diagram of FIG. 11, after the first iteration is complete, the
electronic device may successively play N seconds each of Songs A',
B', and C'.
[0088] The electronic device can iteratively play snippets of songs
from Clusters A, B, and C in this manner until a user input is
received or until the user terminates the scan preview. During the
third and subsequent iterations, the electronic device can continue
to select different songs from each music group until this is no
longer possible. For example, on the fifth iteration through
Clusters A, B, and C, the electronic device may reselect Song B
from Cluster B, because Cluster B has only four songs to choose
from.
[0089] The scan previews discussed above in connection with FIGS.
9-11, where the previews of songs progress automatically and a
visual interface is not needed, may be beneficial to a user in many
scenarios, such as when the user is operating a motor vehicle.
While operating a motor vehicle, a user may not be able to devote
his or her attention to a visual interface. In these scenarios, a
user may employ a car docking system, where the electronic device
(e.g., electronic device 200) may be docked on or near the
dashboard away from the direct line of sight of the user, and the
user may have a knob in which to provide user inputs to the
electronic device. Therefore, the interactions that a user can have
with the electronic device may be minimal and the display may
provide at most, for example, visual queues.
[0090] Various embodiments described below provide scan preview
features that may be effective in scenarios that limit user
interaction, such as in driving scenarios. However, it should be
understood that these features may be applied to any other scenario
where the user is employing an electronic device for listening to
audio.
[0091] An electronic device (e.g., electronic device 200 of FIG. 2)
may provide a scan preview in a particular mode of operation, which
may be referred to sometimes as a "scan preview mode" (or simply
"preview mode"). That is, in scan preview mode, the electronic
device can provide any of the above-discussed scan previews or the
scan previews discussed below in connection with FIGS. 13 and 15.
While not in the scan preview mode, the mode of operation for
playing audio may sometimes be referred to "play mode." Play mode
may be the mode used when the electronic device is playing through
a playlist of songs or when a song/album is selected by the user
from a menu or from a scan preview, for example.
[0092] FIG. 12 shows illustrative "Now Playing" display screen
1200, which may be provided by an electronic device (e.g.,
electronic device 200 of FIG. 2) while playing a song in play mode.
Display screen 1200 can provide various information about the song
that is currently playing, such as album cover art and the name of
the song, artist, and album. Any other metadata associated with the
song may also be provided. Display screen 1200 can further include
progress bar 1202 and time indicator 1204, which each indicate the
length of time into the song that is currently playing. For
example, progress bar 1202 currently shows that the song is
approximately one third of the way through, and time indicator 1204
currently shows that 1 minute and 40 seconds have elapsed in the
song.
[0093] In some embodiments, the electronic device may provide
seamless transitioning between play mode and scan preview mode,
which may be useful in automotive and other scenarios. While
playing a song in play mode, the electronic device may switch to
scan preview mode in response to a user request. The electronic
device may pause the song that is currently playing in play mode
and enter into scan preview mode. By pausing the song and keeping
track of its pause point, the electronic device may resume playing
the paused song in the event that the user does not find a song
that he or she would rather play instead. This way, the user can
enter into preview mode without worrying about losing his or place
in the song, and the user may return to the paused song regardless
of the number of songs that are previewed in preview mode during
the pause. The ability to resume a song when returning to play mode
may be useful in automotive scenarios, because the user may not
have the time and attention needed to re-select the song.
[0094] For example, a user may choose to enter into scan preview
mode at a point in time corresponding to the currently displayed
information in display screen 1300. Responsive to the user request,
the electronic device may keep track of which song is playing and
may save the time stamp of the pause point (i.e., 1:40 into the
song). The electronic device may then enter into scan preview mode.
For example, the electronic device may present any of display
screens 300, 400, or 500 (FIGS. 3-5) and may provide any of the
scan preview features described above. If the user exits out of the
scan preview mode without selecting a song from the scan preview,
the electronic device may transition back to play mode and may
resume the paused song at the point of the pause (i.e., at 1:40
into the song). When switching back to play mode, and the
electronic device may once again present Now Playing display screen
1200.
[0095] If, instead, the user selects one of the previewed songs
from the scan preview mode, the electronic device may switch back
to play mode and may continue playing the selected song. Thus,
there may be a seamless transition back to play mode from scan
preview mode regardless of whether the user selects a song from the
scan preview mode. When returning to play mode after selecting a
new song from the scan preview, the electronic device may provide a
display screen similar to display screen 1200, but corresponding to
the new song.
[0096] In some embodiments, the electronic device may also provide
seamless and informative transitioning between different previews
in a scan preview. For example, in addition to cross-fading between
successive previews, the electronic device may provide a voice over
each time that a new preview starts. The voice over can provide any
suitable information about the song that is currently starting,
such as the name of the song and artist. This way, the user does
not need to wait until he or she recognizes the song before
deciding whether to continue listening to the song in play mode.
The voice over may also allow the previews to each start from a
point in the song, such as the beginning of the song, that may not
be immediately recognizable to the user. In some embodiments, the
cross-fading and the voice over may be coordinated so that a new
song does not fade in too fast and drown out the voice over.
[0097] In some embodiments, an electronic device (e.g., electronic
device 200 of FIG. 2) may provide a multi-directional interface for
controlling a scan preview. In these embodiments, the electronic
device may receive horizontally-directed and vertically-directed
user inputs to affect different aspects of the scan preview. This
can give the user a significant amount of control over the
progression of the scan preview.
[0098] For example, the electronic device may provide an
attribute-based scan preview (i.e., where previews are organized
and progress by genre, by artist, by album, etc.). In response to a
vertically-directed user input, the electronic device may change
the attribute that is used to organize the scan preview. For
example, if the electronic device is providing a genre-based scan
preview, an upwardly-directed user input may cause the electronic
device to switch to an artist-based scan preview and a
downwardly-directed user input may cause the electronic device to
instead switch to an album-based scan preview. As another example,
an upwardly-directed input may cause the electronic device to
switch a folder-based scan preview in which various folders of the
electronic device can be scanned. This way, the user can decide on
the best way to locate a particular song, and the user can easily
inform the electronic device of the decision.
[0099] Once the user has decided on an attribute in which to
organize the scan preview (e.g., by artist, by genre, by album,
etc.), the user may use horizontally-directed user inputs to move
through the categories of the attribute. For example, if the user
has selected a genre-based scan preview and the electronic device
is currently cycling through previews of hip hop songs, a rightward
user input may cause the electronic device to start cycling through
previews of R&B songs and a leftward user input may cause the
electronic device to start cycling through previews of pop
songs.
[0100] FIG. 13 shows illustrative display screen 1300, which the
electronic device may present when providing a multi-directional
interface for a scan preview. Here, an artist-based scan preview
may currently be selected. In particular, display screen 1300 may
be provided when songs of a particular artist (e.g., U2) are being
provided as previews, and a horizontal user input can be used to
change the artist whose songs are being previewed.
[0101] Display screen 1300 can include graphical region 1310 and
information region 1320. Graphical region 1310 can present multiple
album covers, including album cover 1312 corresponding to an artist
whose songs are currently being previewed. For example, the
electronic device may provide album cover 1312 for a particular
artist in a prominent, central position while automatically cycling
through songs associated with the particular artist or album.
Information region 1320 may provide information on the song
currently being previewed and/or on the artist whose songs are
being cycled through. Information region 1320 may also display any
other suitable information.
[0102] Graphical region 1310 can further include additional album
covers 1314 in the background, such as in a manner that allows
foreground album cover 1312 to appear up close compared to
background album covers 1314. Background album covers 1314 may be
associated with other artists whose songs may be previewed in
response to a horizontally-directed user input. For example,
responsive to a leftward user input, the electronic device may
begin automatically cycling through songs by the artist whose album
cover is to the left of album cover 1312. The electronic device may
also shift the album covers displayed in graphical region 1310 so
that the newly-selected artist's album cover is displayed in place
of album cover 1312 as the album cover in the forefront. Updating a
graphical region, such as graphical region 1310, so that the
display appears to shift in a given direction may be referred to as
"rotating" the display screen.
[0103] In response to receiving a vertically-directed user input,
the electronic device may rotate graphical region 1310 vertically.
For example, the album covers currently presented on graphical
region 1310 may be moved upward/downward and off of the screen. In
its place, the electronic device may shift in another set of album
covers associated with a different attribute (e.g., the genre
attribute). This way, the electronic device can provide, for
example, a genre-based scan preview and the new album covers
provided in graphical region 1310 may be ordered based on genre
(e.g., in alphabetical order for each particular genre).
[0104] While a horizontal or vertical input has not been received,
the electronic device may provide and cycle through previews using
any suitable approach, such as using any of the above-described
approaches. For example, in some embodiments, the electronic device
may automatically cycle through the songs by playing each song for
a predetermined amount of time (e.g., 5, 10, 15, 20 seconds, etc.)
before moving on to the next song. In some embodiments, the
electronic device may play each preview from the beginning of the
song. This way, if the user chooses to continue playing a
particular song in play mode, as described above, the electronic
device can play the entire song without interruption or without
having to start the song over again. It should be understood,
however, that other approaches for providing previews may be used
instead.
[0105] Display screen 1300, and the associated scan preview
provided with display screen 1300, may include any of the features
described above in connection with FIGS. 3, 4, and 5, and vice
versa. For example, in some embodiments, display screen 1300 may
include a sliding bar similar to those of FIGS. 3, 4, and 5 instead
or in addition to information region 1320. Similarly, display
screens 300, 400, and 500 (FIGS. 3-5) may each include an
information region similar to information region 1320 of FIG.
13.
[0106] FIGS. 14 and 15 are illustrative processes that can be
executed by an electronic device (e.g., electronic device 200 of
FIG. 2) configured in accordance with the invention. It should be
understood that the processes are merely illustrative. Any steps in
these flowcharts may be modified, removed, or combined, and any
steps may be added, without departing from the scope of the
invention.
[0107] Turning first to FIG. 14, a flowchart of illustrative
process 1400 is shown for providing seamless transitioning between
play mode and scan preview mode. Process 1400 may begin at step
1402. At step 1404, the electronic device may play an initial song
in play mode. If, at step 1406, the electronic device determines
that the user has requested a scan preview, process 1400 may
continue to step 1408. At step 1408, the electronic device may
pause the initial song. Pausing the initial song may involve saving
the pause point (i.e., time stamp) of the song so that the
electronic device may be able to resume the song at the same point.
In some embodiments, step 1408 can be optional.
[0108] Then, at step 1410, the electronic device may enter into
scan preview mode, where the electronic device can provide previews
of any number of songs. In particular, at step 1412, the electronic
device can provide a preview of a first song in scan preview mode.
The preview may be played for a predetermined amount of time (e.g.,
5, 10, 15, or 20 seconds, etc.) or until the user requests that a
different song be previewed. The electronic device can determine
whether, during the time that the song is previewed, the user
selected the song. If, at step 1414, the electronic device
determines that the song was selected, process 1400 can transition
back to play mode at step 1416. In play mode, the electronic device
can continue playing the selected song at step 1418. Because the
song may be continued even when transitioning from preview to play
mode, there may be no break in audio during the transition. Thus,
the transition from preview to play mode may be seamless to the
user. Finally, from step 1418, process 1400 may return to step 1406
in the event that the user wants to initiate a scan preview once
again.
[0109] Returning to step 1414, if a song being previewed is not
selected by the user, process 1400 can continue to step 1420. At
step 1420, the electronic device may determine whether the user has
decided to exit out of scan preview mode. If not, process 1400 can
return to step 1412, and the electronic device can play a different
song as a part of the scan preview. If the user has decided to exit
out of the scan preview mode, the electronic device may enter back
into play mode at step 1422 from preview mode. In play mode, the
electronic device may resume play of the initial song that was
paused at step 1408. In particular, the electronic device may
identify the pause point of the initial song (e.g., via a saved
time stamp) and may play the initial song starting at the pause
point. To enable seamless transitioning, the electronic device may
cross-fade between the last song that was previewed in scan preview
mode and the initial song. In some embodiments, the electronic
device may also add a voice over that provides information about
the initial song, such as the name of the song, artist, and album.
Process 1400 may then return to step 1406 in the event that the
user wants to initiate a scan preview once again.
[0110] Referring now to FIG. 15, a flowchart of illustrative
process 1500 is shown for providing a multi-directional visual
interface for controlling a scan preview. Process 1500 may begin at
step 1502. At step 1504, the electronic device may provide a visual
interface for an attribute. For example, for an artist attribute,
the electronic device may provide a visual interface similar to
display screen 1300 of FIG. 13. Then, at step 1506, the electronic
device may choose a category within the attribute, such as a
particular artist (e.g., U2). This choice can affect the
information presented in the visual interface, such as which album
cover gets displayed in the forefront of FIG. 13.
[0111] Then, at step 1508, the electronic device may cycle through
songs associated with the attribute chosen at step 1506. For
example, the electronic device may play, in succession, previews of
songs by U2. In some embodiments, the electronic device may
cross-fade between each of the previews and may add voiceover when
starting each preview to introduce the song. If, at step 1510, a
horizontal user input is received, process 1500 can move to step
1512. At step 1512, the electronic device may choose another
category of the same attribute. For example, the electronic device
may continue providing an artist-based scan preview, and may switch
from U2 to another artist. Since the artists may be arranged
alphabetically, whether the horizontal input is left or right may
cause the electronic device to move up or down alphabetically when
selecting the next artist. At step 1514, the electronic device may
rotate the visual interface horizontally, which may be a rightward
or leftward rotation based on the direction of the user input.
[0112] Returning to step 1510, if a horizontal input is not
received, the electronic device may determine at step 1516 whether
a vertical user input has been received. If not (i.e., when neither
a horizontal input or a vertical input has been received), process
1500 may return to step 1508 and the electronic device may continue
cycling through previews of songs with the current attribute (e.g.,
U2 songs). If a vertical user input is received, process 1500 may
continue to step 1518. At step 1518, the electronic device may
select another attribute, such as the genre attribute to begin
providing a genre-based scan preview. To show this on the visual
interface, the electronic device may rotate the visual interface
vertically at step 1520. The next attribute selected at step 1518
and the direction of rotation at step 1520 may be based on whether
the user input was up or down. After step 1520, process 1500 can
return to step 1506 a category for the new attribute (e.g., the
attribute selected at step 1518) can be chosen.
[0113] Once again, the processes discussed above are intended to be
illustrative and not limiting. Persons skilled in the art could
appreciate that steps of the process discussed herein can be
omitted, modified, combined, or rearranged, and any additional
steps can be performed without departing from the scope of the
invention. For example, in some embodiments, confirmations steps
such as steps 1510 and 1516 can be reversed in order, such that
process 1500 first checks for a vertical input before checking for
a horizontal input.
[0114] It will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art
that methods involved in the invention may be embodied in a
computer program product that includes a machine readable and/or
usable medium. For example, such a computer usable medium may
consist of a read-only memory device, such as a CD ROM disk or
conventional ROM device, or a random access memory, such as a hard
drive device or a computer diskette, or flash memory device having
a computer readable program code stored thereon.
[0115] The above-described embodiments of the invention are
presented for purposes of illustration and not of limitation.
* * * * *